CAMPAIGNS

Summer Citrus
Bursts With Demand
PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHILEAN FRESH FRUIT ASSOCIATION
Producers from South Africa, Chile and Uruguay
share how they prepare for consumer frenzy
in the United States.
BY HOWARD RIELL
PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHILEAN FRESH FRUIT ASSOCIATION
Thanks to the availability of imported
citrus, Americans can enjoy their
favorite fruits year-round. The
challenge for retailers is to remain
current on citrus trends — knowing
which varieties sell the most and what imports
score highest with consumers — and focusing
on merchandising and marketing them effectively.
Consumers’ love affair with citrus continues
to heat up. As the New York Times recently
reported, “Thanks to new offerings and deft
marketing, Mandarins — popularly known
as Tangerines — have become a fixture in the
American fruit bowl. The country’s consumption
of Mandarins has doubled, to 5 pounds
a year for every American, while orange sales
have declined.”
The task for retailers is bringing the best
citrus products the world offers to store shelves,
and then presenting them to consumers with
ideas on how to best enjoy them.
SOUTH AFRICA: GROWING VOLUMES
Suhanra Conradie, chief executive of
Summer Citrus from South Africa in Citrusdal,
South Africa, says her group works closely with
its importer partners, and different importers
promote in different ways. “Capespan NA,
Seald Sweet, DNE Worldwide and AMC
Direct are the four importers actively involved
in our promotional efforts. We do plan to
establish a unique South African brand identity
in collaboration with these importers.”
Summer Citrus from South Africa (SCSA)
represents a group of 230 South African
PRODUCE BUSINESS / AUGUST 2016 / 69